Soviet Said to Reduce Support for Cuban Economy

By CLYDE H. FARNSWORTH, Special to the New York Times

Published: March 16, 1988

WASHINGTON, March 15—
The Soviet Union is reducing its support for the Cuban economy, according to documents of the Cuban National Bank obtained by a human rights group and made public today.

For nearly three decades the Soviet Union, which generally accounts for 80 percent of Cuba's international trade, has been Cuba's principal supplier of oil, food, machinery, spare parts, chemicals and other vital materials.

Until last year Soviet trade with Cuba was increasing by about 10 percent a year. But the documents made public today, in the form of a Cuban National Bank quarterly economic report, showed that imports from the Soviet Union in the first nine months of 1987 declined for the first time in nearly three decades.

The papers were submitted by Cuban officials Jan. 18 at a meeting in Paris called by Cuba to try to reschedule its $2.4 billion debt to Western governments - chiefly Spain, France, Britain, West Germany and Japan.

Soviet subsidies of Cuba, mainly through Moscow's supply of low-cost oil and its purchase of Cuban sugar at inflated prices, have been estimated at $4 billion to $5 billion a year. The Cuban National Bank document showed that imports from the Soviet Union in the first nine months of last year declined to $3.98 billion from $4.00 billion over the same period of 1986.

The papers also provide a stark picture of a deteriorating Cuban economy. Last year was ''one of the worst years the country has had to face,'' said one document, showing that economic activity had contracted by 3.5 percent while investment decreased by more than 20 percent.

Cuba owes an additional $3.1 billion to Western banks and suppliers, giving it one of the largest external debts per capita in the world, $2,000 per person, which is twice that owed by the average Brazilian.

The disclosure that imports from the Soviet Union are in decline was seen by some experts as evidence of important changes in Cuban-Soviet relations.

''It shows that the Soviets are starting to become conscious of the costs of subsidizing the Cuban economy,'' said Manuel Sanchez Perez, a former Cuban Deputy Minister of Material Technical Supply who defected in 1985. 'Can't Afford It Any More'

A Reagan Administration expert, who asked not to be identified, made a similar point, saying: ''The Soviets can't afford it any more. They're looking for ways to try to force the Cubans to become more efficient.''

Both Mr. Sanchez Perez and the Administration official suggested that Moscow may be signaling displeasure because the economic policies of Fidel Castro seem at variance with the ''perestroika,'' or economic restructuring, of Mikhail S. Gorbachev. Mr. Castro has adopted ''rectification,'' which involves going back to straight ideology and central planning.

Moscow has taken other measures to reduce the economic burden that Cuba represents for the Soviet economy.

Mr. Sanchez Perez disclosed that according to his sources Moscow had cut its subsidy for Cuban sugar. It now pays 36 cents a pound for sugar that is worth one-fourth that in the world market. But it had been paying 45 cents. The Soviet Union buys about 5.5 million tons of Cuban sugar annually.

In addition, Soviet petroleum allocations have also been declining, Mr. Sanchez Perez reported.